The article comprehends hermeneutical aspects of the “organic criticism” as one of the notable trends in the Russian intellectual culture of the 19th century. The author presents an idea that the specifity of the organic understanding consists in the fundamental refusal of any global-theoretical explanatory schemes. Therefore, this direction functioned against the background of other humanitarian approaches not as theory, but as intellectual practice. This also explains the fact that "organicism" was beyond the conceptual attention of the historians of Russian philosophy and was perceived as a kind of literary criticism. Also, the organists did not take part in the struggle between the main "parties" of scientist or metaphysical orientation in the mental movements of the time. “Organic criticism” can be regarded today as a hermeneutic (understanding) phenomenon. To justify this thesis, the author turns to the legacy of Ap. Grigoryev and N.N. Strakhov. As an example of "organic" thinking of the 1880s the following Ap. Grigoryev’s programmatic articles of 1856-58 were analyzed: On Truth and Sincerity in Art and A Critical Look at the Fundamentals, Significance and Techniques of Contemporary Art Criticism, as well as the techniques of an understanding letter in a sketch by N.N. Strakhov Memories of the trip to Athos. Using the wealth of language tools to express many degrees and levels of understanding and, on the opposite, misunderstanding, the author created a multilayer hermeneutical sketch.